Asking "How, When, and Why"
Just like we saw with dónde (where), all question words in Spanish carry an accent mark. Let's expand your toolkit with three essential question words for asking for details and explanations.
| Question word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| cómo | how |
| cuándo | when |
| por qué | why |
How: Cómo
Use cómo to ask about the way something is done, or to ask about someone's condition.
| How are you today? | ¿Cómo estás hoy? |
| How do you do that? | ¿Cómo haces eso? |
When: Cuándo
Use cuándo to ask about time, such as when an event happens or when someone arrives.
| When do you arrive at the city? | ¿Cuándo llegas a la ciudad? |
| When does the class finish? | ¿Cuándo termina la clase? |
Why and Because: Por qué vs. Porque
When you want to ask for a reason, use por qué (why). Notice that it is written as two separate words, and the e has an accent mark.
| Why do you study Spanish? | ¿Por qué estudias español? |
When you answer with "because", use porque. This is written as a single word, and there is no accent mark.
| Because it is very important. | Porque es muy importante. |
Here is another example of a question and its explanation:
| Why do you arrive early? | ¿Por qué llegas temprano? |
| Because I walk to school. | Porque camino a la escuela. |
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